


More Than Friends

by thymeandlemons



Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Coming Out, Established Relationship, M/M, Silliness and fluff!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-22 23:23:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17672105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thymeandlemons/pseuds/thymeandlemons
Summary: TJ thought telling Andi and Buffy about his relationship with Cyrus would be a nightmare, and probably result in Buffy threatening (or enacting) physical harm to him in many shapes and forms.He had no idea "coming out" to Jonah would be the real challenge.





	More Than Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I'm still working on my two WIP fics, but the promo for this week's episode inspired me to write about one of the many ways I thought Cyrus' coming out to Jonah could go. This is mostly silly fluff, and I hope you like it :)

For TJ, telling Buffy and Andi was the scary part.

He remembers sitting across from them at the Spoon, idly playing with his food to distract himself. He remembers listening to Cyrus talk next to him, picking up words here and there, too nervous to fully pay attention to the conversation.

It wasn’t until he felt Cyrus poke at his side that he cracked a smile and looked up from his plate. He expected to be met with hostility from Buffy and contempt from Andi, but what he found instead was a pair of beaming smiles.

He felt weightless as the girls told them how happy they were for them, and teased TJ about how he better not hurt Cyrus, because they know where the janitor keeps the shovels.When Cyrus held his hand under the table, he let himself relax fully and squeezed Cyrus’ hand twice. He might have gotten a bit distracted looking into Cyrus’ eyes, because the next thing he knew Buffy was making gagging noises as Andi said “I can’t believe we have to put up with you two being disgustingly adorable now.”

“It’s better than the will-they, won’t-they constant blushing and stammering around each other” teased Buffy, popping a baby tater into her mouth.

“Both of which are better than the entire cafeteria listening to Jonah sing about how much he cri-ie-ie-ied over Andi” TJ said with a laugh, leading to agonizing seconds of pure, tense silence. He looked up, prepared to apologize and swear he was just joking, but then Andi started giggling, and everyone broke into laughter, and that was that.

Afterwards, when Cyrus walked TJ home, he wrapped his arms around him and whispered “I told you so” in his ear. They held each other under the warm light of TJ’s porch, happy to be together, happy to be accepted by two of the people who mean the most to Cyrus.

When they pulled apart, TJ cupped Cyrus’ face with his hands, leaning in close to brush their noses together, “I still can’t believe this is real.”

“Me either” Cyrus breathed out, tilting his head up to give TJ a brief but no less heart-stopping kiss. “I should get going.”

“You should” said TJ, neither of them making a move to step away.

After a few more seconds (maybe minutes, maybe hours) of standing so close to each other, exchanging soft kisses and shy smiles, Cyrus finally took two steps backwards. He held his arms rigidly by his sides, as if he was physically restraining himself from reaching out to TJ. TJ smiled, buzzing from head to toe by just how cute his boyfriend ( _his boyfriend!!!!!_ ) is.

“Are we telling Jonah tomorrow?” he asked. Cyrus had said he felt comfortable being out at school, but he wanted his friends to know before anyone else found out. So today, they had told Andi and Buffy, and TJ was hoping tomorrow they could tell Jonah.

The issue was that for Cyrus, telling Jonah was the scary part.

While Andi and Buffy already knew that he was gay, as far as Jonah knew, Cyrus' only relationship was with Iris. Cyrus knew Jonah had a big heart, but he could be such a _bro_ sometimes, and Cyrus was terrified that this would cause a dent in their friendship.

TJ had pointed out that any friend who’d let their relationship get damaged over Cyrus being gay wasn’t a friend worth having, but he also understood Cyrus’ hesitation as he, too, had lost some friends after he came out.

So, he wanted to tell Jonah as soon as possible, but he also wanted Cyrus to feel confident and comfortable with the decision.

“Maybe not tomorrow?” said Cyrus, the pitch of his voice rising the way it does when he’s nervous. “It’s just… A lot… But soon, I promise.”

“There’s no rush, I just really want to hold your hand when we’re walking down the school hallway.”

“I want that, too.”

The flickering of the porch light alerted them that once again, they got lost just _looking_ at each other, and Amber acted as their reality check by making mockingly lovesick faces at the two of them from the living room window. Cyrus smiled at the sight and waved goodbye to TJ, starting his short walk home.

 

* * *

 

They don’t end up telling Jonah the next day, or the day after that, or the day after that…

In fact, two weeks pass after they tell Buffy and Andi, and Cyrus insists on not telling Jonah. Which is fine, TJ repeatedly tells him he can take as long as he wants, it’s just that… It’s really, _really_ awkward sometimes.

Like last Wednesday when it was him, Cyrus, Jonah, Andi, and Buffy at lunch, and Jonah asked if Cyrus or TJ would be interested in going on a double date with Libby’s recently-single best friend. Or this Monday when Jonah almost walked in on them holding hands, only to tell Cyrus that Iris had a new boyfriend, and question him about whether or not he has moved on.

And it’s not just TJ who is feeling the awkwardness. Andi and Buffy are getting fed up, too, and they keep insisting to Cyrus that Jonah will be fine with it, he just needs to rip off the bandaid and tell him.

It isn’t until they’re getting pre-homework motivation in the form of baby taters at the Spoon and Jonah randomly blurts out “Did you know 1 in 10 people are gay? How come I don’t know anyone who’s gay? Wait does that mean I’m gay?” that Buffy reaches her breaking point. The second Jonah heads to the bathroom, she turns towards Cyrus.

“Cyrus Goodman I swear on my Tamika Catchings jersey that if you don’t tell Jonah about you two I will fake a health inspection and make sure this place closes down for the next six months.”

“Buffy, I want to…” starts Cyrus, “I’m just scared that he-“

“There’s nothing to be scared of!” Andi chimes in with dramatic flair, banging her head on the table for good measure. “Jonah will be fine with it, and if he’s not, we’ll stand by your side. Just _tell him!_ ”

“You guys seem to be in the middle of a heated debate.” It’s Jonah, having returned from the bathroom with… a fluffy pink pencil in his hands? “Look what I found!”

“Did you find that in the bathroom?” asks Cyrus.

“Yeah, look how soft it is, touch it!” he says, waving the pen in front of Cyrus’ face.

“That’s gross Jonah, you don’t know where it’s been!”

“It’s not the journey, it’s the destination” adds Jonah with a flourish of the pencil.

TJ turns to Cyrus, trying to convey “ _This is the boy you’re scared of coming out to?”_ without using actual words.

Cyrus seems to get it, because he nods, and quickly faces Jonah. “Jonah actually… Do you have a few minutes? TJ and I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Yeah… Sure?” he says, pursing his lips as he continues, “Should I be worried?”

“No, no, it’s nothing to be worried about. At least I don’t think so. Or rather I hope so. I mean-“

“Okay we are going to get going” says Andi, holding Buffy’s hand to get her to move. “See you guys tomorrow.”

Cyrus watches the girls leave, then looks at Jonah, clearly lost as to how he should start this conversation. Part of TJ wants to step in and take the reigns, if only to get this over with as soon as possible, but this is Cyrus’ moment, and he doesn’t want to take anything away from that.

“Okay, I think I’m just going to go ahead and say it” whispers Cyrus, whether it’s to himself or to Jonah, TJ’s not sure.

“TJ and I...” he starts, then faces TJ, and the nervous look on his face melts into something much softer. “We’re... more than friends”

It’s quiet. TJ worries that the source of the silence is judgment or contempt on Jonah's part, but one look at Jonah’s face makes it clear that the silence isn’t rooted in any negative feelings, just pure trademarked Jonah Beck confusion.

A few more seconds pass, and TJ’s just about to cut in when Jonah draws in a sharp breath, his gasp making every adjacent table turn around.

“You guys are _brothers_?”

Oh, _god_.

Of course Jonah's first assumption will be that they're _brothers_. TJ does a terrible job of trying to prevent his inner monologue of "what the hell is wrong with you" from showing on his face, as Cyrus stammers out a reply.

“What? First of all, ew, and second, no we're not brothers. We’re-“

“Cousins?” Jonah guesses.

“Are you even listening?” asks Cyrus.

Jonah inadvertently answers his question by following his train of thought without paying any mind to Cyrus' words, or TJ repeatedly banging his head on the table. “What are the odds, I mean first Andi and Bex, now you and TJ!”

“Please stop talking" grunts out TJ, forehead still _very much_ pressed against the table.

“I’m just saying it’s a huge coincidence! Maybe I’m your cousin, too!”

The smile on Jonah's face as he says it must be the final straw because Cyrus smacks one hand against the table and nearly _yells_  “Jonah Beck we are not brothers or cousins or related in any way shape or form we’re dating.”

TJ's pretty sure that's not how biology works, but he's also almost definitely certain that he can physically see the gears turning inside Jonah's head. It takes him a while to put two and two together, and his eyes roam over both their faces, their shoulders pressed together, finally landing on TJ's hand currently resting on Cyrus' arm.

_“Oh.”_

“Yeah" says Cyrus, not sure if there's anything else to add.

“Like dating dating?” Jonah asks.

“Yes, like dating dating" quips in TJ.

“And you’re definitely not related?"

TJ can see Cyrus get worked up again before he takes another look at Jonah's face and sees that he's just joking around. “No, we’re definitely not related” he says with a smile.

Jonah's matching smile is a relief for them both. “Cool.”

"Cool" Cyrus replies, turning to TJ "it's cool."

“I mean, it would have been way cooler if you turned out to be secret brothers separated when their spy parents had to go on missions in different countries or something, but I know you will make each other very happy, so this is also very cool.”

He and Jonah haven't exactly been close, but TJ still knows him well enough to understand this is his way of being truly, unconditionally happy for them.

They hug after they pay the bill, and Jonah tells TJ he better not hurt Cyrus, not because he'll do anything about it, but Buffy most definitely will, and he doesn't want her to get in trouble. He then heads towards his house in the opposite direction, leaving TJ and Cyrus alone after a hectic day surrounded by people.

This time, when they hug and kiss by TJ's front porch, not even Amber tapping the glass and blasting cheesy love songs from inside the house is enough to get them to pull apart.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it, and please let me know if you did! Thank you so so much for reading :)
> 
> As always, you can find me at [thymeandlemons](https://thymeandlemons.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr :)


End file.
